Crawford Thomas Recruiting, a nationwide sales recruitment firm that specializes in the recruitment of business technology sales, MPS, management and support staff, is proud to offer discounted recruitment/staffing services to all BTA members.

As one of the only large recruiting firms that really understand the office automation industry, it's no wonder that OEMs and dealers coast-to-coast depend on Crawford Thomas' 50-plus in-house recruiters to deliver top talent.

For more information on BTA Hotline sponsorship, contact Brent Hoskins at brent@bta.org or visit the advertising link on the BTA website. (Note: Sponsors are not endorsed by BTA and members should thoroughly investigate claims and offers made by them prior to purchase.)

BLI Announces Additional Winter 2015 Pick AwardsBuyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) has announced the winners of its most coveted awards in the Printer/MFP category, selecting Hewlett-Packard (HP) as the winner of its 2015 Color Printer/MFP Line of the Year and Samsung Electronics Co. Inc., as the winner of its 2015 Monochrome Printer/MFP Line of the Year.

Building My Business Webinar: "Five New Ideas Using Technology to Secure Net New C-Level Meetings"Kate Kingston of Kingston Training Group has new content on how to attract C-level decision makers by using the technology that is right at your fingertips. Using strategies through social media like LinkedIn — among other specific online applications — will allow your sales reps to learn when a prospect needs a strategic technology solution discussion. Reps will also gain the knowledge they will need to attract more C-level attendees at their next expo or learning luncheon. In this webinar, Kingston will deliver on how to drive more net-new, vertically focused C-level sales meetings past the dialing-for-dollars method. For more information or to register online, click here.

Feb.4

BTA MPS Client Engagement Training SeriesThe BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series, led by Mike Lecak, president of Collaborative Consultant Group, consists of six one-hour, Web-based courses designed to assist participants in the following: getting the appointment; MPS value propositions; conducting the appointment; the assessment; the proposal; deal implementation; and client management. During the six-week session, there will be three one-hour one-on-one coaching sessions in addition to the online training sessions. During these sessions, you will be working with Lecak on three of your specific accounts. You will be taking these opportunities through the sales process, from appointment through the assessment to the proposal and contract. You will have a chance to gain valuable insight while working on actual "live" prospects. For more information or to register online, click here.

Building My Business Webinar: "How to Increase Sales Productivity & Decrease Turnover"While technology has changed, the products and services office technology dealers sell, the way they are sold, low sales rep productivity and high sales rep turnover are still major concerns for BTA dealers today — just like they were for NOMDA dealers 50 years ago. Larry Breed of Market Mentor Online made his first sales call as a Lanier sales rep in 1965 and has a half century of experience in the industry. In this webinar, he will share his firsthand experiences about sales rep productivity, turnover and lead generation, and provide attendees with a strategic plan for long-term business development. For more information or to register online, click here.

March18-19

BTA Service Management Workshop - Orlando, Fla.There is not a cookie-cutter approach to improving service financial performance, because every dealership is different in various ways. Therefore, it is important for dealers to understand what good looks like for their individual needs to help them develop plans for improvement. The BTA Service Management Workshop, led by Ken Staubitz of BEI Services, was developed to help dealership principals and service leaders not only learn about the various financial and operational service benchmarks, but also to learn how to develop specific action plans tailored to each dealership. These plans will enable attendees to implement change, drive financial gain and improve customer satisfaction. Attendees to the March 18-19 workshop receive free registration to BTA's Winter Break district event. For more information or to register online, click here.

Winter Break - A BTA district event hosted by BTA Southeast - Orlando, Fla.BTA Southeast will host the first of its two 2015 district events, open to dealers from across the country, on March 20-21, 2015, at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, Fla. The event will feature a keynote session dealer panel, seven additional educational sessions presented by industry leaders and a special session by John O'Leary of Rising Above. In addition, there will be time to visit with 30-plus exhibiting sponsors, many of which will hold drawings for great prizes during the event. Dealer attendees can also enter on-site for a chance to win one of five $100 American Express gift cards and be entered into the BTA District Event Sweepstakes. At 2 p.m. on March 21, the event will wrap up with a trip to one of the Disney theme parks of your choice: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. BTA Member Dealers: Register by Feb. 18 and receive 2-for-1 registration. For more information or to register online, click here.

The January issue of Office Technology, the monthly magazine of the Business Technology Association, is now posted on the BTA website. You will need your username and password to access the online magazine.

Each year, the districts of the Business Technology Association host five educational and networking events that are well received by office technology dealership attendees. During each event, the focus will be on providing leading-edge educational opportunities in relaxing, welcoming venues. BTA members receive discounted registration to each event.

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BTA MembershipYour BTA benefits are listed on the BTA website. Be sure to take full advantage of your membership by using the many discount programs and business services BTA offers exclusively for its members. Click here to learn more. Not a member yet? Join online.